Cross checks and elbows

And tripping, oh my! I’ve had the chance now to watch several preseason hockey games, and I’m about as excited as I can get. My Maple Leafs look better and better, Rebecca’s Penguins still look phenomenal, and Philadelphia doesn’t look all that great. What more could I ask for?

Hockey is a funny game. Occasionally, especially here in the south, I get asked how I can possibly enjoy a game with that much violence. It’s a legitimate question, and I won’t reply with the trite “It’s all part of the game” that I hear the broadcasters defend it with.

Instead, I’ll say, I don’t watch it for that. I’m into hockey for the talent it displays, the speed, the passing, the unbelievable acrobatics of the goaltenders, and the even more unbelievable acrobatics of Sidney Crosby putting it past the goaltenders (Side question: is there a starting goaltender in the NHL that Sid hasn’t scored on at this point?). It is a great game. I see the physical violence (by which I refer to things like cross checks, elbows, tripping, holding… I see body checks as not violence, but strategy) as an unfortunate part of a game that is otherwise the best sport to watch.

As far as body checks go, it’s kind of like tackling in football… the point isn’t the hit, the point is stopping the progress of the opposing player. A well-timed body check frees up the puck, starts an odd-man rush the other way, and contributes to a goal. It’s strategy.

So, there you have it, my take on violence in hockey. By the way, get rid of the little dirty stuff (cross checks, holding, tripping), and I bet you’ll find that the fighting goes right with it, by and large. It just wouldn’t be necessary.